A surgical end effector includes a clevis and one or more jaws pivotally coupled to the clevis. At least one jaw includes a slot. An axle assembly includes a bearing axle that rotatably supports a bearing, which may be a plain bearing. An actuator coupling is coupled to the bearing axle. The bearing engages the slot such that pushing and pulling on the actuator coupling causes one jaw to close against the other jaw. The bearing axle and the jaws may be made from materials that are prone to galling and the bearing may be made from a material that resists galling. The slot may include a lip that supports the bearings in a spaced apart relationship. The bearing axle may be less than 1.5 millimeters in diameter and each bearing may be less than 3.0 millimeters in diameter.